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Titanites

Your octopus video gallery is wonderful! I have a little girl who is 3 yrs old and for some unknown reason has been having HORRIBLE nightmares about being grabbed and taken away by an octopus. I have no idea where she got the idea, or what she might have seen. She is petrified by the mere thought of an octopus, and was hoping that they were just imaginary.

I tried explaining to her that they are real, but that they live in the sea and would not grab her and take her away, but nothing has stopped these nightmares.

So when I stumbled upon your video gallery I sat her down and we watched together. She enjoyed it so much, and asked to see the videos again and again. I think it is helping to calm her fears. Thank you so much for maintaining the site!

Titanites

I once posted about a "Looney Toons" cartoon about a boy who was always daydreaming... in one sequence he was battling an octopus underwater, and was being dragged down, then his teacher snapped him back to real-time. That could do it!

Larger Pacific Striped Octopus

Speaking as a previous psyhology major, I think that we tend to relate better to things closer to ourselves. For example, given the choice, small children would rather hug or cuddle a teddy bear than a stuffed toy spider. I think maybe it might have to to with our tetrapod prejudices, but it should be noted that squid and octopuses have a very otherworldly appearance, and this an easily freak out a child.

As a parent, I understand what its like to have a child wake up from a bad nightmare, so I've tried to help my son get over a lot of fears he has or may develop. I..er, he has a collection of stuffed cephs, and I like to take him to see the local GPO whenever I get the chance. He points to it and either says "dog dog" or "tako".

Oh, I would also like to note that there was an episode of the PBS cartoon "Arthur" where Arthur's sister D.W. was terrified of the octopus at the local aquarium. A little de-sensitizing ended up being a huge help.